Chapter 168: The Little Monk Admits Defeat

Xiao Chunzhu stood at a high vantage point, observing every move within this county town.

A full day had already passed, yet he still had not caught even a shadow of that murderer.

He simply knew it was only a matter of time; at the latest by tomorrow, he would force the other party out.

As a man of the Jianghu, he knew too well where his own kind would hide and how they would evade official investigations.

His mood was extremely agitated.

When he left the Lingxiao Sect, he was actually very unhappy inside; he did not like wandering about, this world was too dangerous, was it not better to stay within the sect!

Seventh Junior Brother... the inner-disciple junior brother of the Lingxiao Sect.

In merely half a year since arriving at the sect, he had already gained the recognition of the Sect Master, his master.

Furthermore, he could see that the Sect Master intended to cultivate Seventh Junior Brother as the next Sect Master.

Regarding this matter... he had no thoughts on it.

After all, the one truly struck by this was Eldest Senior Brother Lingyunzi.

Senior Brother Lingyunzi had always regarded himself as the future Sect Master and demanded his conduct reflect this, yet Seventh Junior Brother appeared.

He adopted an attitude of watching a good show, observing the two engage in open and secret struggles.

The result... Seventh Junior Brother wanted to bring his family to the Lingxiao Sect and arrange work for them at the foot of the mountain.

This was nothing special; the sect, worried Seventh Junior Brother might meet with misfortune on the road, dispatched him along with several other junior brothers to escort them.

This was the reason he was somewhat unhappy.

The journey had gone smoothly all the way, but upon reaching the territory of Jincheng, someone emerged and spoke to them about the Fuxin Village incident.

Seventh Junior Brother, in his haste, rushed back as if mad, and then encountered County Lieutenant Li.

What followed was the death of Seventh Junior Brother.

Having killed his junior brother, Xiao Chunzhu felt no regret, for if Seventh Junior Brother had not died then, they all would have died.

One dies, several live; no matter how you calculate this account, it is a profit.

The other junior brothers said nothing against him, which could be seen from the side to indicate how perilous the situation had been at that time.

It was only later that he separated from the other junior brothers in Jincheng.

He knew very well that having killed Seventh Junior Brother, if he returned to the sect, it would likely be a path to death.

He could only find a way to make a living outside.

But in this world, how difficult it is for an outsider to take root in a strange place!

With no money, no connections, only a passable set of martial arts, what could one do!

Sell skills on the street, break large stones with one's chest?

One would still be driven away; every spot on the street has a 'master'.

Wanting to join a escort agency, not being a local, having no one to vouch for him, they would not accept him at all; what if they took in a villain by mistake!

Thus, after wandering for over ten days, seeing his money nearly gone and just thinking about whether to take extreme measures, he saw the local militia outside the city, and he saw Li Lin.

He could tell that the eyes of those militia members looking at Li Lin were filled with recognition and respect.

If only one or two people had such an expression, it would merely show that Li Lin was a decent person; if almost all subordinates had this look, then Li Lin was absolutely a good superior.

So he decided to take a gamble.

Now it seemed he had gambled correctly.

After monitoring from the rooftop for quite a while, a government office Runner below cupped his fist and said, "Brother Xiao, we have finished investigating the North District; what now?"

"Go check the South District of the market; inquire if any strangers have lingered recently; if so, go interrogate them."

"Understood."

Xiao Chunzhu paused, then said, "Be careful in all things; if you discover anything abnormal, do not act rashly, but return immediately to report; we will gather our forces and go then."

"Understood!" the government office Runner replied again.

He continued standing at the high point, watching the surroundings; if there was truly any movement, he would rush over at the first moment.

Time passed bit by bit, and it quickly reached evening.

At this moment, a government office Runner shouted from below, "Brother Xiao, come down and have a bite to eat first."

Xiao Chunzhu rubbed his stomach; he had hardly eaten anything all day and was indeed hungry.

He jumped down, and the government office Runner handed him a small bamboo basket.

Inside lay a ceramic vessel with a porcelain lid placed upside down.

Lifting the porcelain lid revealed a full bowl of white rice, topped with a bunch of green vegetables, and lying there were two thin slices of fatty meat.

Just looking at it smelled delicious.

"This... you have spent too much," Xiao Chunzhu said gratefully.

Such a dinner, for an ordinary person, was already considered abundant.

"Not me; the County Lieutenant had someone send it," the government office Runner smiled. "All of us involved in the case can eat this."

Xiao Chunzhu was stunned for a moment and asked, "Do you often have such good dishes and rice to eat?"

"Yes." The government office Runner, who was very young, nodded vigorously. "As long as we are working, we can all eat well. Moreover, after every case is solved, if we receive silver as a reward, the County Lieutenant also distributes a share to us."

Xiao Chunzhu's heart burned with warmth: "The County Lieutenant is truly a good man."

The government office Runner nodded repeatedly: "Yes, yes."

Xiao Chunzhu ate the rice in large mouthfuls, and soon he finished all the food.

He placed the ceramic bowl into the bamboo basket: "Thank you for your trouble..."

"Brother Xiao, you are too polite," the government office Runner smiled.

And at this very moment, Xiao Chunzhu's ears suddenly twitched; he leaped up suddenly, looking toward the northeast direction.

Immediately after, his face lit up with great joy; using the Lingxiao Sect's Lightness Technique, he rushed quickly in that direction.

His speed was swift; the Lingxiao Sect's lightness technique prioritized velocity and excelled at pursuit.

In less than twenty breaths, he had already crossed three streets.

Then, a green firework bloomed in mid-air.

Something is wrong!

Xiao Chunzhu rushed toward that direction at even greater speed.

At the same time, the other government office Runners sprang into action.

Several Captains saw this firework and led the village militia down from the city walls.

They headed straight toward the direction of the firework.

In an instant, several dragon-like lines of people holding torches converged on a certain spot from four directions.

Xiao Chunzhu arrived at the scene first.

He stopped on the rooftop and looked down, seeing more than a dozen government office Runners formed into a semi-circular formation, confronting a man with messy hair.

Beside them lay several government office Runners, their life or death unknown.

Xiao Chunzhu leaped down, stood before the dozen government office Runners, clasped his fists, and said, "May I ask, friend, are you the one behind the recent murders involving the sucking of blood and vital energy?"

This person was disheveled and dirty, his features indistinguishable; only a pair of pale gray eyes were visible, looking as though they held no life.

"If it is not me, so what? If it is me, so what!" This person clasped his hands together: "The Buddha once said all in the world is empty; what difference does it make whether I kill or do not kill? Is there any difference between them being dead or alive?"

A madman!

There was no need to waste words with such a person.

Xiao Chunzhu took hold of his long sword, shifted his steps lightly, and began to walk slowly around the opponent.

"The Lingxiao Sect's footwork." The man turned his body toward Xiao Chunzhu: "When did people of the Jianghu become the government's dogs?"

"I am willing!" Xiao Chunzhu snorted.

"Oh, you willingly..."

Taking advantage of the moment while the other spoke, Xiao Chunzhu's body suddenly surged forward; in just two steps he had rushed to the opponent's face, his long sword tracing a silver light as it thrust toward the man's face.

Ding!

The man raised his right hand as a palm, meeting the sword with his palm center, and actually blocked the sword tip, even producing a sound of metal and stone ringing together.

"Vajra Palm!"

Xiao Chunzhu snorted, withdrew half of his long sword, then thrust out again with sudden force.

The opponent extended his single palm once more, intending to repeat the same trick.

But the long sword in Xiao Chunzhu's hand suddenly split apart, becoming two thin swords that thrust toward the opponent's eyes from the left and right of his palm.

The man did not dodge or evade; he simply closed his eyes.

The two thin swords pierced his eyelids, once again producing the sound of metal and stone ringing together.

The man closed his eyes and smiled: "Mother and Son Splitting Light Two-Phase Sword! Played well, unfortunately your internal skill is lacking and your primal energy is insufficient."

Xiao Chunzhu sheathed his sword, stepped back two paces, and his expression became solemn.

This man was very strong.

The man opened his eyes and grinned: "Move aside; I do not wish to make an enemy of the Lingxiao Sect."

"You cannot leave." Xiao Chunzhu said.

No sooner had his words fallen than a large number of government office Runners and village militia arrived simultaneously.

Groups of people surrounded them, and before long they completely blocked all surrounding passages.

Even on the rooftops, archers had climbed up.

The man looked left and right, immediately squatted down, and clasped his hands behind his head: "This little monk admits defeat; I surrender!"

(End of this chapter)